Anyone who has ever stood next to a college football player knows they possess some freakish athletic and physical abilities, but there are those who stand out among the pack as truly rare specimens.
The Athletic aims to identify the top 100 freakiest college football players going into each season, and a pair of Florida Gators cracked the list. Freshman edge rusher Jayden Woods checks in at No. 40, and starting running back Jadan Baugh is No. 53, according to national college football insider Bruce Feldman.
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Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith sits in the top spot, followed by Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor and South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor. The remainder of the top 10 are mostly defensive tackles, two of which are in the SEC. The conference boasts 19 freaks overall.
No. 40 EDGE Jayden Woods
One of the biggest wins for Billy Napier and Florida during the last recruiting cycle came when he flipped top-100-ranked edge rusher Jayden Woods from Penn State. It takes a beast to play on the edge in the SEC, and Woods fits that definition. However, he also profiles well as an interior defensive lineman. That versatility could lead to some early playing time.
“The four-star recruit from Kansas, who was a 6A state champion in shot put and discus, has added 15 pounds since arriving last winter,” Feldman said. “Woods has wowed coaches with his explosiveness, intelligence and work ethic. At 6-3, 244, Woods broad jumped 10-5 this offseason and vertical jumped 33.5 inches. His shuttle time was 4.28. He squatted 555 pounds and power cleaned 365. ILB Aaron Chiles is another similarly sized Freaky defender. The 243-pound sophomore vertical jumped 9-10 1/2 and cleaned 345 pounds at 243.”
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No. 53 RB Jadan Baugh
Jadan Baugh was already one of the more exciting pieces of Florida’s offense after a break second half last year, but the Gators’ strength and conditioning coach added to those expectations with heavy praise following summer workouts. Baugh challenged and broke several program lifting records, both pound-for-pound and overall.
“As a true freshman, Baugh gave the Gators a huge spark in the second half of the season, shining against Georgia, Texas, LSU and Ole Miss. He also had big performances against FSU and Kentucky, when he had a program-record five rushing TDs,” Feldman said. “Baugh led the Gators with 673 yards, averaging over five yards per carry to go with eight TDs. The 6-1, 233-pound power back from Atlanta, who has 13.6 percent body fat, squatted 565 pounds this offseason, did a close-grip bench press of 350 and cleaned 335. He also moves well for such a big back, hitting 21.7 mph.”
Big summer gains for Florida
It was another productive summer in the gym for the Gators. Strength and conditioning coach Tyler Miles spoke to the media ahead of fall training camp, and lauded the team’s work ethic. Sixty-five percent of the team gained muscle and lost fat.
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“We gained 700 pounds of muscle this offseason. Last year was 580, so we gained 120 pounds more than last offseason, and we lost 200 somewhat pounds of fat, somewhere in the two hundreds,” Miles said. “We didn’t lose as much fat this year, but we didn’t have as much fat to lose.”
It’s hard to pick a so-called freak out of an SEC weight room without being in the room, but it’s usally the second-year guys who develop the most physically. LJ McCray fits the bill, and he added “like 40 pounds” both in weight and to his bench press personal record.
DJ Lagway is another rare specimen. He shook off SEC pass rushers with relative ease as a true freshman, and he should be healthier and stronger this year. A couple of highlight reel scrambles might earn him a spot on this list next year.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida Gators football Jadan Baugh Jayden Woods Athletic Freak List
